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Carignan on the rebound from arm issues

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By Jane Lee

PHOENIX -- Two Tommy John patients stood less than 20 feet apart at A's camp on Tuesday, their body of work proving that the operation does indeed do wonders.

There was lefty Brett Anderson, finally looking forward to a full season after missing most of 2012 while rehabbing, letting loose with ease. Then there was right-hander Andrew Carignan, eight months removed from the surgery, making just his third side session since that time.

Carignan threw 25 pitches and is on track to repeat these sessions twice a week for about five more weeks, as he prepares for a June return.

"He's basically on the same page that Brett was on last year, but as a reliever," pitching coach Curt Young said. "Hopefully we can get him back by late June, somewhere in there, but his rehab is going great."

The 26-year-old Carignan, who carried a 4.66 ERA through 11 games before his season ended in June last year, is no stranger to rehab, giving him better perspective than most on the process.

Taken by the A's in the fifth round in the 2007 Draft, Carignan produced fantastic numbers in his first two seasons of pro ball, but a right elbow injury wiped out all but two games of his 2009 season. Surgery on the elbow, along with a stress fracture in his foot, forced him to miss the start of the 2010 season. Then came a pair of oblique injuries and, finally, more elbow issues in '12.

He made the decision not to return to his home in Connecticut this offseason, as he normally does, but to remain in Arizona to ensure a smooth recovery under the watch of Oakland's training staff.

"I've already been through a lot," Carignan said, "so I'm just kind of taking all this in stride, knowing I can't ever get too hopeful about anything, but just stay the course and hope things keep progressing well."